American Burn Association GASOLINE SAFETY Educator’s Guide A Community Fire and Burn Prevention Program Supported by the United States Fire Administration Federal Emergency Management Agency General Background Information • Selected gasoline-related injury statistics • Technical Background Fact Sheets for Community Distribution • Portable gasoline containers • Portable container and vehicle filling procedures • Small engines and gasoline powered equipment Static electricity and gasoline Automobile carburetors • Transporting and storing gasoline • Barbecue safety and Propane grill safety • Inappropriate uses of gasoline • First aid for exposure to gasoline References/Resources PowerPoint Slide Presentation with Instructor Comments Evaluation Form Community Fire & Burn Prevention Programs Gasoline Safety Campaign GENERAL BACKGROUND INFORMATION Gasoline, when ignited in a controlled manner to power engines, serves a very useful purpose. Because it is so commonplace, however, we sometimes take its presence for granted without realizing how dangerous it can be. The same quality of explosive ignition that makes gasoline so valuable as a fuel can cause terrible injuries when it is handled carelessly or used for a purpose for which it is not intended. Gasoline and other flammable liquid-related burns, however, are a preventable problem. These accidents are often associated with careless use (misuse) of gasoline. Most accidents occur in the summer months due to an increased use of gasoline for farming or recreational purposes (i.e. bonfires, burning leaves, boating, yard work, etc.). A lack of understanding of the explosive nature of gasoline by the general public seems to contribute to both its improper storage and misuse as a solvent, engine primer or fire starter. Gasoline burns decrease markedly in winter months except burns associated with carburetor priming to start cars. Although anyone can be injured in a gasoline or flammable liquid related incident, the highest rate of gasoline-related injuries occurs among those whose use gasoline in their work, such as mechanics, yard maintenance, heavy duty and light power equipment operators. Gasoline associated with recreational activities such as boating, camping and barbecue grilling can cause burn injuries. Most injuries associated with these products occur in the home, however, where the improper use and storage of gasoline and other flammable liquids can result in the both body and property damage. Knowing how to prevent these injuries can protect you and those you love from a devastating burn injury. The first step to ensure a safer home environment is to increase your awareness and identify potential hazards. The next step is to make the necessary changes in behavior and your environment. Change in the environment and modifying high-risk behaviors involves eliminating the cause of the problem, thereby reducing the risk. Gasoline-related injury statistics Accidents with gasoline are a major cause of thermal burns in the U.S. It has been reported that gasoline-related burns account for 13,000 – 15,000 ED visits per year. According to the United States Fire Administration, there were an estimated 463 burn injuries caused by the misuse of gasoline in 1998. However, since USFA data are based on reports of incidents to which fire departments responded, they do not include injuries where those sustaining burns from gasoline were transported directly to hospitals by other means. Since injury statistics are organized according to numerical code sets which lack a separate code for gasoline as a cause of burn injury, the total number of such injuries is unknown. However, such injuries can be very severe, as is evident in their frequent transfer for treatment at one the nation’s 125 specialized burn care facilities. In the USFA report, about 80% of the victims were males and the incidence was remarkably well distributed by age (with a spike at age 30) from birth until about age 45. At that age, incidence drops off considerably and remains low through older age. Community Fire & Burn Prevention Programs Gasoline Safety Campaign A 2000 report by the National Fire Protection Association, based on 1993-1998 data, provided the following gasoline-related annual estimates: • Over 140,000 fires, including 120,000 in vehicles (most of them unoccupied, fortunately). • Over 6,000 residential fires. • About 500 deaths. • Thousands of hospital emergency room visits. • Nearly $500 million in direct property damage costs from gasoline-related fires. (Source: The U.S. Home Product Report, 1993-1997, Flammable or Combustible Liquids, National Fire Protection Association, Fire Analysis and Research Division, Quincy, MA, August 2000). Technical Background The severity of a gasoline or flammable liquid burn depends upon three factors – the flash point, vapor density and flammable range. The flash point is the minimum temperature at which the liquid will give off sufficient vapor to form an ignitable mixture with air. The vapor density is the ratio of density of vapor to the density of air. Substances with a vapor density greater than 1 are heavier than air and tend to accumulate in low or enclosed spaces. The flammable range is the range of vapor density within which a flammable substance will ignite. Flammables are gases and/or liquids that can burn, release vapors or explode at any temperature close to room temperature or below (under 100 degrees Fahrenheit). In the case of gasoline the flash point is so low that it can explode at virtually any temperature: it doesn’t have to be warm. Gasoline produces ignitable vapors that are very dense, 3 to 4 times heavier than air. These vapors are ignitable at a wide range of mixtures with air, from 1.6 to 7.2 times the density of air. They can travel for great distances along the ground or floor and they tend to accumulate in low enclosed spaces, the same areas where pilot lights on appliances tend to be located. A nearby open flame from the pilot light of a water heater or furnace can easily ignite vapors from these products. Because of its low flash point, high vapor density and wide flammable range, these products are highly explosive. A small spark that causes gasoline to explode may lead to a large fire, which can then lead to an even larger explosion. Community Fire & Burn Prevention Programs Gasoline Safety Campaign GASOLINE SAFETY FACT SHEETS FOR COMMUNITY DISTRIBUTION • Portable gasoline containers • Portable container and vehicle filling procedures • Small engines and gasoline powered equipment • Static electricity and gasoline • Automobile carburetors • Transporting and storing gasoline • Barbecue safety • Propane grill safety • Inappropriate uses of gasoline • First aid for exposure to gasoline Community Fire & Burn Prevention Programs Gasoline Safety Campaign PORTABLE GASOLINE CONTAINERS The Uniform Fire Code only approves one and two gallon metal or plastic containers for the indoor storage of Class I-A flammable liquid. • The container must have a tight fitting cap for both the spout and vent. • The container must be predominantly red in color and properly labeled, “GASOLINE”. To be approved. It must also bear the warning label about the dangers of gasoline. • Metal containers when grounded, provide the greatest protection against fires caused by static electricity. • Never use glass or plastic bottles for transporting or storage of gasoline Several organizations have developed standards for portable gasoline containers, including the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM), Underwriters Laboratories (UL) and the Canadian Standards Association (CSA). ASTM F 852 Standard Specification for Portable Gasoline Containers for Consumer Use. ASTM D 3435 Standard Specification for Portable Plastic Containers (Jerry Cans) for Petroleum Products (discontinued). UL 30 Metal portable gasoline safety containers UL 1313 Plastic portable gasoline safety containers. CSA B 376 Portable Containers for Gasoline and Petroleum Fuels. Community Fire & Burn Prevention Programs Gasoline Safety Campaign PORTABLE CONTAINER AND VEHICLE FILLING PROCEDURES Never siphon gasoline by mouth. It can be fatal if swallowed. Because portable containers are much smaller that vehicle fuel tanks, they fill a lot faster. To prevent over-filling or a spill, the consumer needs to control fuel flow. This is why the nozzle trigger-valve should be left open while filling a portable container. The container should be filled only 95% full. The remaining air space allows room for the gasoline to expand if it warms up later. Otherwise, expansion could force liquid gasoline out of the container or distort the container. In most areas, gasoline pump nozzles are equipped with an accordion-like sleeve to reduce emissions of gasoline vapor during fueling. The sleeve helps return the vapor in the vehicle’s tank to the service station’s tank. The sleeve must be compressed to activate the nozzle. When fueling a vehicle, this happens naturally when the nozzle is inserted into the filler spout. The same procedure isn’t practical with a container, because inserting the nozzle into the inlet far enough to compress the sleeve will activate the nozzle’s shut-off mechanism when the container is only partially full. The customer should compress the sleeve with one hand while controlling the nozzle valve with the other. This allows the customer to see that the nozzle is in contact with the container. It also allows the customer to monitor the rising fuel level and to stop at the appropriate time. The filling